SPHERES OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

In the today's world of leisure, recreation, tourism, recreation is the highest social value. So, over the past few decades in the world, the importance of medical and health tourism and recreation is gradually increasing. Having a huge natural potential, Ukraine needs to develop recreational and tourism infrastructure. Medical and health tourism is one of the most stable types of tourist markets in Ukraine, and it is its priority. However, it is most in need of support and coordinated development. That is why the definition of its capacity, the studied spheres of medical and health tourism revitalization is a key issue today. Medical and health tourism is among the most ancient types of tourism industry. Since ancient times, people have learned to use mineral water and mud for medicinal purposes. Medical and health tourism is a broader concept that includes two components: treatment and rehabilitation, which determine its variants such as medical, health spa and wellness tourism. This type of tourism is based on health resort study: the science of natural healing factors and their effects on the body and methods of using them for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Features of medical and health tourism are: length of stay, which should be at least three weeks, regardless of a resort and a disease, since only this time you can achieve health effect; high cost of stay and treatment - a common treatment in the resorts is expensive, so this type of tourism is designed for wealthy clients who order an individual program of staying and treatment; age - statistics show that older people more frequently go to resorts, although in recent years young people also spend their vacations at resorts and choose the type of moderately severe ailments. The choice is between the resorts that specialize in the treatment of a particular disease, resorts and mixed-type health-care settings enhance health and help restore strength and stress management. The particular problem for the development of therapeutic, recreational and sanatorium areas is the lack of qualified medical personnel, who have adequate training to work in the system of specialized medical institutions, as the medical universities of the region do not prepare specialists in this field. Based on the above material, we can draw a number of the conclusions about the problem solving systemwide measures for development and management of the health tourism in Ukraine. Therapeutic and sanatorium tourism should: - Update the conceptual state programs to meet the requirements of the international standards and to unlock the tourism potential of the regions; - Improve the state cadastre of tourist and recreational resources, create reference and information base of the existing facilities of spa types, camping, recreation, etc; - Intensify efforts to develop investment proposals in the spheres of tourism and recreation in attractive areas, in order to attract potential investors to upgrade existing facilities, expanding the list of quality services; - Update the resorts within the program of socio-economic development of the strategic priorities, organize the local authorities participation in the development of tourism and resorts, providing them with financial support from the local budgets; - Regulate on the regional level the procedure for implementing local fees on the use of therapeutic and travel resources, for the intended use of the funds raised for the complex infrastructure renewal and rehabilitation of small towns with recreational potential, for laying the quality of communications and reorganization (technical upgrade) utilities; - Implement a system of continuous training for personnel employed in service spa, medical and wellness tourism in hospitality and restaurant management, using both vocational schools and special programs and courses at service centers for employment.